402 The Silver Linings of a Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Despite differing origins, the three types of land grant institutions (LGI) share the common mission of teaching, research and extension in service to all, resulting in the land-grant college system being seen as a major contributor in the faster growth rate of the US economy that led to it being an economic superpower. Through the years, the LGI mission has been relatively resolute; however, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic mandated that, LGI, like all organizations, respond to its unprecedented demands. Though the land grant institutions share the single mission of teaching, research and extension, the support of these efforts at land grant institutions vary tremendously, often with great disparities existing for the 1890 and 1994 institution. As in most industries, the pandemic not only revealed many disparities, but exacerbated them. Instead of dampening the work of 1890 institutions like Tuskegee University, the pandemic called on these institutions to be innovative in carrying out its mission, resulting in numerous silver linings, which will be discussed in this session.